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Forty-two Mozambican community radios and community multimedia centres (CMCs) confirmed their commitment to join hands through the formation of a National Community Radio Network in Mozambique's capital Maputo on Friday [14 May] last week as the culmination of a one week constitutive conference and festival. The 220 participants from Mozambique, Angola, South Africa and Europe witnessed the approval of the statutes, and the presentation on Friday by the elected National Council to the first General Assembly of its first work plan, which proved that they are set for a dynamic and strategic start of this powerful people's movement in one of the world's poorest countries. With a firm funding commitment expressed by the international partners present, a thorough strategic planning process will go hand in hand with the National Council's urge to continue the work already initiated by the planning group over the past three years in the areas of: training, a technical network, a partnership & fundraising strategy, a code of conduct for election coverage and a very active women's network. The one week event also included workshops on CMCs and new technologies, organizations and associativism, sustainability and partnerships, the Women's Network, preventive maintenance, community radio and the elections, and an international session learning what is happening in Angola, what AMARC [The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters] is, as well as information on networking experiences in Africa and Latin America. The "festival" part of the conference furthermore included an exhibit reflecting the country's community radio history and profiles of the diversity of partners making up this movement, a programme competition with a festive award ceremony, a colourful cultural show put on by the radios and an active production studio at the service of the participants, who produced a reflection of the event through an 11-programme CD. Source: UNESCO, Paris, in English 11 May 04 |
